Take a Leap

My mind was busy wandering as I stared out of the car’s passenger seat window. I noticed the pine trees swaying in the gentle wind, shrugging off the coating of light snow that Michigan received overnight and I could hear the 70s station playing in the background as a spirited conversation ensued between my husband and my son regarding his day at school. I allowed myself to drift into a meditative state, connecting with my guides and angels, and I asked them for a sign. It was something I probably did too much. I envisioned them rolling their eyes and smirking at one another. There she goes again, folks, doubting the path we keep putting in front of her. How will we ever get her to just trust us, to trust herself? I grinned at the thought. My son’s screech roused me from my comfortable alpha state. A large bird flew off the lake towards our car, as if we were its prey. At first we thought it was an owl, but noticed as he flew perpendicular to our windshield that he was a red-tailed Hawk. Obstructing most of our view, he stared into the vehicle until he caught my eye and simply hovered. It was hard not to marvel at the size of his wings and his sharp talons as he continued to follow the car, until what felt like forever, he gave one huge swoop of his wings and flew off. The three of us all caught our breath and exclaimed how incredible the experience was and I teared up, in awe at the gravity of the message.

According to Animal Speak by Ted Andrew, the Hawk is the Messenger, the Protector and the Visionary of the air and when it shows up it is a sign to pay attention as there will be a positive event or message that will permanently affect the future. The Hawk reminds those who see it to soar to great heights while keeping the feet firmly on the ground. As smaller birds occasionally attack the hawks, there is also a message that others will attack, but to rise above the drama. The biggest message, so timely for this Leap Year, is to take a leap of faith. I couldn’t have received a better or more connected message with regards to my request for a sign and was very grateful that they didn’t send something larger. :)

I particularly love the animal signs, as they are hard to ignore, and because of that it inspired Johna Bowman Gibson and I to create the Higher Intuitions Oracle due out at the end of the year. The animals may not come to you in a waking state, but a meditation or dream state. Pay attention to what crosses your path, whether it be a mouse that runs across the road, a frog or toad that jumps out of the bushes, a sparrow that flies in front of your car, a squirrel who keeps showing up on your front porch, a butterfly that lands on your arm, and the list goes on. Each has their own message, their own meaning. Keep a journal and take note as to your life situation compared to the animal crossing your path and you might then ‘hear’ the messages your Guides and Angels are sharing.

So as February 29th, a day out of time, creeps up on us, upgrade your steps to take that leap.

Boundless Blessings,

Kristy Robinett

An Abnormally Normal Psychic Medium - Author - Life Coach

Spirit Communication Through Dreams

Jennifer's Dream Land

Dreams. As humans we all have them, a common trait that links us together. Even animals experience dreams. Ever observed a dog while he's dreaming of running, those cute little whines- legs working a mile a minute as he chases a phantom rabbit through a field? Funny stuff! I am a very vivid dreamer and at times my dreams take me to places otherwise unknown in my waking life. The above picture I took in northern Minnesota {sans fairies although I don't doubt pixies are plentiful up in God's country, such beautiful magical land!} This shot, a lush emerald alcove of water, is reminiscent of my dream lands... although those dreams I will explain in a future post. My flying dreams are the most wonderful nighttime visions of all.

According to Wiki dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep; these nighttime images are seen as being a link to our unconscious mind. Yet dreams are so much more than our synapses randomly firing throughout the night.  No, dreams are a form of spirit communication. Dreams can be understood as a way for our normally crazed chaotic waking minds to relaxxxxxx and unwind.

I do believe there is a direct link between our brains and our souls although some of us *koff koff* {who shall remain nameless} battle that link. I, for one, have a bad habit of disputing the information my soul communicates to my mind. Question, question, question... hey- we all have our issues, right? Well at night my mind blissfully shuts up, I mean, shuts down... and this allows my heart, mind and soul to connect. It also allows my spirit guides and angels a clear connection to my unconscious mind, my heart and my soul.

And this, my friends, is what my post is all about. Dreams as spirit communication. Not all of us are blessed with amazingly strong abilities like Kristy but this doesn't mean we have no abilities at all, just different. More... subdued.  I used to lament over the fact that I don't readily see spirits or hear them whispering in my ear.  Now my guides know darn well that if one of them were to whisper in my ear, taking me- a, well, doubter- off guard I would probably wet myself... and I know they don't desire causing me any public humiliation! In short, they offer me guidance they know I can accept.

And believe. And TRUST.

I trust my dreams. I have no control over these vivid magical images I am blessed with during the night. There is no reason for me to question the validity of my dreams or wonder if they are “only my imagination.” I am fortunate enough that my guides choose to support me, nurture and love me, through my lack of faith. And one of the ways they do this is by offering me visions and messages through my dreams. I’d like to share an example of this with you now.

I kinda hit a life roadblock last year; we all experience them from time to time don’t we? I allowed myself to become derailed from my passions. I fell into a funky abyss from which I had a hard time climbing out of. My guides allowed me time to wallow in self-pity and a perceived sense of unbalance, feeling so very “stuck,” but only for so long. Slowly signs began making themselves known to me, signaling to me that it was time to get back on track both spiritually and emotionally. They’d had enough of my sloshing around in despondency and were urging me to become unstuck from my lack of conviction because we all have the personal authority to lift ourselves out of pain simply through the power of positive thinking and a concentration on joyfulness.

In other words, my guides were telling to to grab my Big Girl Panties and slip em' on, and now!

Rainbows were the first of my signs, and that is a topic for another post on symbols. But the second sign was my dream life became increasingly vivid, the messages undeniable. During this time spirit communication through my pendulum was strong and distinct with one of their main messages concerning getting back to my passions, my art. My creativity. For me a life without creativity is not truly living. If I do not create I may breath but I do not experience life, not really.

Recently I was staying overnight at a hotel, alone, reading Doreen Virtue’s book on how to contact angels and guides. In it she specifically explains that dreams are often visions given to us from our angels. She reminds her readers to ask for those messages via our dream world because, come on let’s face it, it never hurts to remember to actually ask for help instead of just assuming it will be offered to us on a silver platter. Another important aspect to receiving messages during the night is to request we remember those dreams and know them for what they are- important insight to our waking life.

As I lay down for bed I asked God and my guides to please use my dreams as communication and to help me remember those dreams… and that night I had an amazing dreamtime experience.

I was walking down a nature trail {nature, particularly water, is very important to me} along with a bunch of other people. I looked down and noticed I wasn’t wearing any shoes, thick nasty mud squishing up between my toes. I was not happy with the mud and wondered- where the heck are my shoes? The people around me were talking about this special land of frogs we were traveling to- frogs? Hm… I often see animals in my dreams and always pay special attention to these totem messages.

I felt continuously stuck in this mud and labored to keep up with the group but although I trudged along I was not left behind.

After walking for a while and dwelling on the mud that covered my feet we entered into a magical clearing; green, lush and deliciously beautiful it was filled with square-shaped pools of “hot spring” water. These warm pools were filled with frogs, frogs that were… singing with a sonorous music instead of just ribbiting. Everyone marveled over the frogs while I walked over to a grassy area to wipe the mud off my feet. I didn't want to take the chance of "muddying the water" by dipping my feet into it so rubbing them on the grass would have to suffice.  Misty steam wafting from the pools of water where the frogs resided floated to where I stood and led me over to the frogs where I clearly experienced their genuinely beautiful sound… and then my dream was over.

This particular night I had many dreams that I remembered upon awakening. I recorded them all to further analyze their meaning. I own a wonderful animal totem book that is one of my favorite spiritual resources for decoding the animal visions that appear in my life. As I researched frogs in my book I had to laugh because Frog means “transformation through water” and I was recently baptized Christian through immersion- an experience that was foreign to my past-Catholic self. Frog also means transformation through sound which is not surprising to me as I love music and can’t live without it. Also my guides have hinted that once I become more open and trusting I will be able to “hear” more clearly- meaning there is a possibility I will be developing clairaudience. Frog is associated with both land and water, just as dragonflies are- another strong totem for me. I equate “land” as being my mind/earth-based self and “water” as being my soul/heart-based self. I need to find a balance between the two, and Frog is being shown to me as a reminder of this fact.

And finally, a direct quote from the totem book concerning Frog asks if I have become mired in the mud of everyday life. The mud of everyday life- and in my dream I was getting stuck in that yucky thick mud, battling to arrive with the rest to experience the beautiful song of Frog.

But I did make it; success was mine!

Some more information about Frog: emotions are often represented or associated with water {hence my abundance of water dreams lately, and Frog represents water.} Frog means sensitivity to the emotions of others {right!} and metamorphosis… exactly what I am currently experiencing, a spiritual metamorphosis. Frog also means coming into one’s own personal power and the connection to water can be a reminder to “keep it fresh.” Am I becoming mundane? Afraid of my uniqueness? It’s time for me to dive into new fresh creative waters, and to sing the song of my soul.

Frogs are keenly attune to sound. A recent spirit guide message for me was “it’s okay for you to see, and it’s okay for you to hear.” Water is the best conductor of sound. I know that by introducing Frog into my dream along with the serene sounds, misty ethereal pools of water and especially becoming stuck in the mud {and not liking it one single bit} were all messages from my guides. Messages to get off my butt and become unstuck creatively. To banish the doubt and allow myself to clearly hear their messages, and also to learn that I have power over the “climate” of my life- Frog represents climate control too. Also Frog represents my love for music, how important sound is to my life, and the knowledge that repetitive songs and their content/meaning are messages from my guides.

So my challenge to you, dear blog reader, is tonight take a moment to reflect on your day and any issues you may have encountered, good or bad. Reach out to God and your guides/angels and ask for your dreams to be used as a vehicle to know their messages. To decipher the meaning will take some analyzing but once you’ve received the message via your dreams your guides will assist you in clearly understanding their divine intent.  Make sure to keep a notebook close by your bed!

Happy joyful dreaming to you all, and remember to sing the Frog song of your soul.

~Jennifer

Living Life with a MaJicKal Purpose

Some time in early adulthood, life begins to hit most of us with a wallup. Responsibilities, duties, obligations, work, stress  . . . it all takes a toll and works to keep us locked in that endless cycle. We forget that we are engaged in this process, that we can make changes, that we can make a difference, because we are encouraged to believe otherwise. We are taught all kinds of rules and belief systems that keep us locked in the cycle, without even realizing that we are in one, let alone having the presence of mind to break out and think for ourselves.

Sometimes even those of us who have remembered this universal truth falter along the path, and we have to make a conscious effort to get back to a state of balance. Because that is the key, a balance of polar opposites, meeting and working together in the middle. That's how we get things done. When we exist and work and play within "The Zone", life becomes just a little bit more MaJicKal. :)

So, for me, that means balancing the stresses of the so-called "real" world with things that make me feel happy and at peace, things that also help to make MY real world a little better. By keeping those plans and goals in the forefront of my mind, it helps me to follow MY own path through the outside world.

Today this means, I will sit on my porch and write, a pretty table cover lifting with the breeze...

Crystals beside me... accompanied by a colored glass "gem," just because...

Windchimes churning in the warm spring breezes...

Doing the occasional bit of skywatching...

A faithful friend at my feet...

Two more trying to lure me inside to come and snuggle...   :::writing schedule, schmiting schedule! Warm kitties are more important!:::   They are terrible about using their kitty wiles, aren't they?

And, last but not least, daydreaming about what I'm going to do with my new garden space this year in between writing. Right now it just looks like a patch of dirt. I want to have raised beds built, line the rows with the antique bricks we found in a tangled jumble on a hillside in our woods, and then fill them with heirloom veggies and herbs. Why heirloom? Well, for one thing, it makes me feel good to grow vegetables that my grandparents might have grown. The heirloom plants tend to be fairly bug and disease resistant without the need for any chemicals {I insist on a chemical free garden. Get thee away, Round-up!} They also have the intense flavor bursts that have unfortunately not been foremost in the minds of all the people GMO'ing the plants and seeds of today.

Speaking of heirloom plants, a couple of years ago I was "led" to research them. Okay, led is the word I will choose, but honestly my Guides are pretty insistent with the nudges until I heed their advice. At the time, heirloom veggies were only just appearing here and there at our local greenhouse. Now they are growing more and more favor, appearing even at ::gasp:: Walmart. The research was only the beginning. I am feeling very strongly that this is important.

Gardening in and of itself is essential to me, for many different reasons. On the practical side, food prices are rising as nutrition levels are dropping and processed foods become the norm in our society. As a mother, this concerns me greatly.  No longer does putting a healthy meal on the table seem to be considered our right. I aim to reclaim control of this, for my small part of the world, and you can too! Even if you only have enough space for a few tomato plants in containers on your back step, a single tomato plant yields an amazing number of  tomatoes, and all it takes is being sure to give it plenty of water every day. No muss, no fuss. And have you checked the prices of tomatoes lately? How can you lose? Also, on the soul-stirring side, there is something wonderfully satisfying about working with the earth, planting things, nurturing them, watching them grow, and giving back to the earth rather than taking away. The sunshine and being outside a bit every day don't hurt, either! {And don't forget to watch for all those wee little faeries! :) }

I grow heirloom flowers, too, though none will bloom for a while yet. All flowers appeal to me, especially those that draw butterflies and bumblebees and birds, but also roses like this one, a Gentle Hermione... {pic credited to www.heirloomroses.com, a wonderful site to buy old style roses from!}

Just. Beautiful!

The gardening style that speaks to me the most is a rustic French-style potager, where flowers and vegetables and herbs are grown together, and the design of the garden is meant to be pleasing to the eye {and soul!} rather than just be utilitarian.  {pic credited to www.gardenweb.com}

 

They kind of remind me of the enviably gorgeous garden in Practical Magic, non?

Gardening is kind of like life. Whatever you put into it is what you get out of it . . . and a little bit of, um, crap tends to add strength to whatever it is you are growing. Doncha just love a good analogy? ;>

So, that's how I'm working today on conjuring a balance in my life. Because there is more to creativity than just sitting in front of a computer in isolation for hours on end every day. Creativity needs tactile and colorific experiences to maintain its health. So do we all!

Love to all and wishing you warm spring blessings,


Mad {madly!}

Dare To Begin Your Journey

We are almost into the third month of the year and I wonder how many have reviewed their goals for 2012 and either hid their eyes to pretend they even made them or tossed them in the garbage and said, “Maybe next year”. There is a Chinese Proverb that says “To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping”. Those first steps can be frightening and confusing especially if you aren’t sure which direction to go. It is so much easier to bury ourselves in self loathing and excuses, but is far from attractive.

How many times have you discovered that you weren't given the promotion that you believed you so well deserved or the so-called love of your life dumped you and instead of thinking that a door closed and another (and better one) will soon open, you pouted, stomped up and down, swore, and pretty much allowed the bitterness to envelope your soul? I think we’ve all gone through something similar, but I want to remind you that as soon as you let go of the anger of the situation, new blessings begin to shine through. So in essence, you are sabotaging the very thing that you want. You are building the walls that block your journey. Your true journey.

So if you’re upset and think that life stinks, I dare you to begin your journey. Throw off the blankets, put some nice clothes on, dry your tears and take one step at a time. Before you know it, the right doors (and people and situations) will present themselves and you will wonder what all the fuss was about!

Believe,

Kristy Robinett

Let It Go

“He who angers you conquers you.”

Elizabeth Kenny

One of the characteristics of an Empath is being overly sensitive. That over sensitivity encompasses so many emotions – happiness, joy, sadness, anger, etc. As I age (gracefully, might I add), I have realized that I don’t hold on to the grudges and anger, but I hold on to the sadness. I so want everybody to like me and I have come to realize that not everybody will (boo!). I also have realized just how damaging it can be to hold on to the sorrow of something that you cannot change and that even though it is sadness, it is still a cousin of anger and it effects your whole being; body, mind and spirit. My Spirit Guides happen to have a wonderful sense of humor and they especially hate when I am sad. It’s as if I can hear the flutter of activity in the heavens as my three main Guides attempt to conjure a plan to get me out of the funk as quick as possible. And this go around was no different. As I was driving into my office I replayed scenarios in my head of “what did I do wrong?” to “what could I have done better” to “what’s wrong with me?” when my phone rang. Normally when I am in a funk the last thing that I want to do is answer the phone (yep, I am one of those), but I glanced down at the number and smiled. It was a call from someone that I needed to make an important business decision with and I had been fussing the last couple months asking for a sign on what to do and when to do it (yeah, I know a bit cryptic, but right now that is all ya get). My sign came during a sad day. My scenarios disappeared with my Guides telling me to stop owning other people’s issues and to move forward. To move on. There’s a quote that says “I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.” And to that I say AMEN!

Believe,

Kristy

Hot Passion

The Making of A Bead...

Hot passion. I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about something other than art, didn't ya? It's okay. You can admit it; we're all friends here ;)

Making glass beads is one of those things that I truly enjoy, one of my passions. My art. Keeping in line with all the magical discussions I can tell you that recently it was explained to my by my guides not to worry if my life is not dripping with the typical "magic." I don't wiggle my nose and *poof* dinner is made {I wish!} I don't often see spirits or hear voices. I was told to remember that creation is magic. Creation, for me, is *my* magic and manifestation. Something for me to keep in mind when I fear my life is becoming all too, you know, normal! I am at my best, at my most magical, when I am using the gifts God blessed me with to create.

And to share this creations with all of you I whipped out my handy dandy {huge} wonderful Canon 7D and took some shots along the way while I was making a bead a few months ago. Keep in mind one hand was trying to hold flaming hot glass {think about 950 degrees flaming!} and the other was balancing a full-size DSLR camera- in short the pics are not amazing but they'll suffice.

First- an introduction to my work area. Lots of glass, my safety glasses, the all-important torch... and an empty plastic container of chocolates lurking in the background- a waiting vessel in which new glass will soon be organized.

I, er, dumped out the chocolates so I could use the container... um, yeah.

*nom nom nom*



The particular bead in these pictures was made special for a friend. It's what I refer to as a "Blue Bead." The base is made with transparent cobalt blue glass; what you see here is me holding a "mandrel." Made of stainless steel {so it doesn't conduct heat!} it's been dipped in a substance that is similar to mud. "Bead release," it coats the stainless steel so the hot glass does not permanently adhere to the mandrel. It allows the bead to release once it's all finished. This little "X-Wing Fighter" is a specific way I add melted glass to the mandrel- this weirdness will melt down to a roundish ball.



The roundish ball. **Warning** Do not indulge in a double espresso shot grande mocha from Starbucks before melting glass! A steady hand is a necessity!



I then covered the cobalt blue glass with silver foil. Looks similar to tin foil but much thinner- and made of 99.9% sterling silver. Not something you're gonna want to wrap a sandwich in, that's for sure! The foil is "pushed" onto the bead with a tool {not my fingers- one learns not to touch glass at 950 degrees after a few "hot damn!" moments} and then covered with clear glass.



I melted the clear glass down over the silver and used a pointed tool to move and manipulate the molten glass around on the bead. This worked to swirl the silver around, kinda making it look similar to waves on the ocean.



This warm soft glob of glass was then rolled in small pieces of crushed glass, called "frit." The frit is melted into the base bead and the entire glob is covered in a thick layer of clear glass.



This layer of clear glass is carefully melted flat so it is spread evenly over the entire base. The clear serves to magnify all the fun stuff underneath, adding depth and dimension to the bead. This is known as "encasing." Most of my beads are encased with clear because I just love the final effect. This is what it looks like when the clear glass is only partially melted smooth:



Almost done...



Viola! Close up shot of the clear glass melted even and flat over the bead.



From here this bead is quickly transferred hot to the kiln where it is annealed for a few hours. After annealing it is removed from the mandrel and that mud-like bead release is reamed out of the hole- drilled out with my handy dandy Dremel rotary tool using a long skinny diamond drill bit. I forgot to take a final picture of this bead after I cleaned it and before I gave it away but I've made many of these "Blue Beads" and here is one very similar that I made for myself:



That metallic gold is the silver foil that was "trapped" under the clear glass; chemically the silver and clear combines to make gold. I love this bead and wear it often; my tiny treasure.

~Jennifer

Empaths Amongst Us

There is so much to this topic that I thought it was important to get a view from each of us.


My first truly notable experience as an empath {as opposed to just internalizing things with no recognition of what I was doing} came when I was sixteen years old. I was a member of my high school pompom squad, and believe me when I say, sixteen to eighteen year old girls can be Cut. Throat. The leader of the squad, shall we say a "high maintenance" and very popular {although goodness knows why} girl, began to nitpick another, younger member for kicking too high. The poor girl was a dancer and flexible to the max, she was just doing what came naturally to her. Two by two, the rest of the squad began to chime in against this poor, unsuspecting girl, and while at first she tried to defend herself, soon she recognized the futility of defense and just closed her mouth, her eyes growing wider and shinier. I was not one to speak up -- despite having the previously unrealized audacity to try out for the team, I was a major introvert -- but the longer this went on, the more uncomfortable I became. I was growing antsier by the minute. And before I knew it, I began to feel for her. Inside of myself. Like a deer being hunted by wild dogs, trying desperately to stay out of the way of the snapping teeth. Heart pounding, breath coming faster and faster. The next thing I knew, I was hyperventilating, I couldn't catch my breath, I couldn't draw any in. Which, thankfully enough, drew enough attention that it stopped the attack on the other girl. Another girl pulled me away and made me walk with her down the hall. Oddly enough, shortly after leaving the others behind, I began to feel better.

At the time, I had never heard of empaths or empathery {my preferred term, and I likes it! :p }. I chalked it up to an anxiety attack {something I had had zero previous experience with} and went on with life, albeit with one more thing to make me feel "different."

By the time I did hear the term and began to think, "Hm, this kinda sorta sounds like me . . . but that can't be . . .", it was the late '90s and I had was deep in the throes of busy momhood, working full time, writing, raising 3-and-soon-to-be-4 boys. I scarcely had a moment to breathe, let alone investigate further. But my Guides decided enough was enough. The time had come to raise my awareness. And so I began to experience things more and more often, whereas before it had been random occurrences, oddities here and there. Enough that I could no longer chalk it up to coincidence or brush it off as imagination as easily as I could before.

And then someone whom I considered "in the know" about matters metaphysical, a cool chick I looked up to for many reasons, happened to mention in passing that empaths were the rarest of all the sensitives/intuitives in the world . . . and instantly my inner doubt struck up a duet with my low self-confidence. I couldn't be an empath, then. I wasn't special. I just knew I wasn't psychic, because I didn't have visions. Maybe I was just imagining things . . . and that made me feel even worse. I didn't want to be imagining things, putting on airs to make myself feel better! What the heck was wrong with me?

Lesson Number One: You alone know the details of your experience. Don't let anyone else create your reality for you. You are a creator. Step up to the plate and take responsibility for your life!

Even though my first instinct was to shove all of my experiences back into the darkest closet at the back of my mind and go on with life, making careful attempts to be as normal as possible . . . somehow I didn't. And even better, I allowed myself to study further, which allowed me to go on to discover even more about myself.

But it wasn't until I met Kristy and began tentatively comparing notes that I discovered that my dreams, as I had only recently allowed myself to consider might possibly be . . . gulp . . . spiritual contact, were definitely in fact . . . spiritual contact, and not just a personal weirdness.

Confidence, as you might have suspected, has been a major obstacle for me to overcome. I can laugh at that now, but I really have struggled with it over the years.

I've learned so much more in the last six years than I was able to hesitantly come to accept in all of the previous eight. Little by little, I am coming into my own. Slower than I would prefer, but I can be patient when I have to. The last two years took a toll on me, but I am beginning to come back into my own, mentally yes, but even more important to me, spiritually, and I am so thankful for that. Having come this far, I don't feel like myself when I am not dreaming and feeling. I have also discovered there is more to what I do than I considered before, which I have no doubt I'll be exploring soon.

Because now's the time, dearhearts. Now's the time for all sensitives, no matter what their level of experience, to step up to the plate and learn more about themselves, to see the world with new eyes. Don't you feel it? The call? The sense that something big is coming up? Something important? We all are.

Jen and Kristy have both talked about shielding, but just as important for any sensitive but especially for those with empathic tendencies is to learn how to release energy.

One thing that is so, so important is to be very aware of yourself and to learn how to release as you go through your day so that it doesn't build up, because it really is exhausting and can manifest into other physical symptoms, just like Kristy describes. Emotional tension is a big clue that you are holding on to too much. Simple things that help you to let go rather than hold on to emotional energy include anything that make you smile, laugh, breathe deeply, be at peace,feel love, etc. All the good stuff. Your aim is to let go of the negative and to feel your spirits lift.

Learn how to be physical again! So many of us, in our busy lives, forget how good we feel when we actually get out there and move! Walking every day in the great outdoors is so beneficial, and not just for burning off the day's indulgences. But even just going outside and sitting on your patio, feeling the sun pour down on you, the wind in the air, this will do so much. Any time I start to feel the tension build up, I step outside.

Remove toxic people from your routine as much as possible. You won't be able to fix them. They have a journey of self-discovery they need to make as well.

Hug someone! But make sure you're not transferring your stress. A mutual hug, deeply felt, also helps one ground.

Conjure an image in your mind's eye of someone you love. FEEL IT. Your love for them.

Be love, be light, in as many ways as possible. By paying attention to this, you will build it into your world around you. And with more and more of us consciously doing that, the larger world starts to change for the better, a piece at a time.

Love to all,


Mad {madly!}

P.S. No longer are empaths the rarest of all the sensitives/intuitives out there! The numbers are growing by leaps and bounds. I find that interesting . . . and fitting. This world needs a lot more love, don't you think?

Empath

I was miserable working undercover at the metaphysical center. The drama and cattiness was just too much and I took a leave of absence from doing reading sessions when I was granted a promotion at my real job. I had so much on my plate. My mom had passed away and I missed her like mad and I was adjusting to being a wife again and this time blending a family and petrified of messing up another marriage. I plopped in my seat at 8:00 a.m. to start my day. Sitting in my brand new office with my brand new furniture and brand new computer, I closed my eyes and tried to wish away the tears. I worked with strong people and I knew that tears wouldn't be acceptable. I begged my guides for an answer. I had accepted a promotion in my 'real' job in hopes that it would make me happy, but it was doing the opposite; I was miserable. Before I could feel sorry for myself anymore, my phone rang and I was off and working. The clock read 4:00 p.m. when I clutched my hand to my chest. It was an ache that ran from my chest down to my toes. I had never felt anything like it. I asked my guides if I was having a heart attack and received the all clear, but I knew something was wrong. As if on cue my boss walked by and noticed that I was turning a nice shade of khaki green and asked if I wanted an ambulance. Although the signs were right there denoting something serious, I told her I would just go to my doctor and I grabbed my purse and without an appointment I drove across the street to see what in the world was going on with me. That was the last day I would ever step foot in that office again. It has been five years ago now.

My anxiety and panic over being miserable had manifested illness within me. The diagnosis ranged from mononucleosis to chronic fatigue and finally to fibromyalgia. Here I was teaching my clients to take care of themselves and I was doing just the opposite. I panicked going back to work and I panicked not going back to work - what was I going to do? Every time I thought I was getting well enough to return to my position, I got ill again. It wasn't until I sat for over five hours in my doctor's office, my husband curled up next to me on the exam table, holding me as I sobbed when the doctor asked me what I thought I could do to get well. The blood tests were there in black and white, evidence which showed that I was sick- it wasn't all in my head - but the disability company refused to pay me, stating that it was anxiety and nothing more and work wanted an answer. I finally looked up at him and my husband and said, "I think the prescription is resignation". They both nodded in agreement. It was like a weight had fallen off my shoulder as soon as I made the announcement. Explaining to my family and then going in and giving my formal resignation was a whole other story. I grew up in a household where you pack a brown bag lunch and work for 8.5 hours and come home. Nothing less and nothing more. But I knew that I had a calling and that I couldn't do it being stuck in an office that I hated, a job that wasn't a good fit and all I was doing was causing resistance, which was the reason behind my illnesses. It was a tug of war with my destiny.

Being an Empath has probably been the gift that I consider the most exhausting and exhilarating and the most misunderstood too. The definition of being an empath means you are always “on” while you process other people’s feelings and energy, and often ignore your own.

Are you an Empath?

· Have you ever been told you were too sensitive or that you cry too much? Oh yep, I do!

· Do you attract animals? I am Dr. Doolittle and have everything from squirrels to bees to fox come up to me and wonder why I am startled or scared.

· Do kids come up to you and talk? All the time. I sometimes am worried that this will one day get me into trouble.

· Do babies catch your eye and smile, or can you calm them with a look? All the time!

· Do strangers come up to you in the store and start talking to you about their life? My husband has actually had to drag me away from strangers so that we could get to an appointment.

· Does weather affect your mood? Happy on sunny days, sad on rainy ones (or the opposite)?

· Have you noticed that the moon cycles affect your mood?

· Are you always wanting to help? Many Empaths end up going into the medical field.

· Do you own other people’s problems when you know that you cannot do anything about it and they need to take care of it themselves?

· Do you feel other’s pain (emotional or physical)? I have a hard time going to a hospital because I can actually feel the cancer, the heart condition, the broken leg, etc.

· Are you attracted to music, color and the arts?

· I could go on and on, but these are just some of the so-called Empath symptoms. And this gift (yes, it is a gift) can really take its toll on your mind, body and spirit.

Some things that can help:

1. Use positive affirmations.

2. Take a bath with sea salts, Epsom salts, and/or therapeutic-grade essential oils. Good combinations are rosemary, chamomile, sage and eucalyptus essential oils. Lavender also helps calm.

3. Don’t deny yourself that good cry.

4. Use protective crystals. In a later article I will talk more about this, but I find onyx and black tourmaline to be great and my newest favorite is Dragon’s Blood Jasper.

5. Get Moving – walking, yoga, martial arts, etc.

6. Garden. It helps to ground you.

7. Energy work or body work . Acupuncture, chiropractic, massage with quantum healing and/or Reiki, etc

8. Meditate (just taking deep breathes helps)

9. Journal

10. Say “No!” You are allowed to do this and it may be the best prescription yet!

Jennifer talked previously about shielding and this is also a great way to help protect. I do two different practices.

I call on Archangel Michael, my guides and Source (God/Universe, etc) and ask for the brightest and most healing white light (you can use any color) to pour on top of me. I visualize it coming from the ceiling and washing over me, encasing me in the highest protection. I then visualize in my mind’s eye a dial and I dim the outer core of the white light. Think of it this way – bugs are attracted to light, and the light that you emit, you may be protected, but you will still attract any and everything. So I use a dimmer so that only those of the white light and not those just wanting to suck the light from me, will find me.

If I am feeling stressed out or ‘dirty’ from the day’s energy, I visualize a cleansing rain of white light that washes down upon me and washes it away. I visualize a drain between my feet and it disappearing forever. If you have a hard time visualizing, you can actually go into the shower to do this exercise while the water from the shower pours over you.

It is important to note that there is no wrong or right way of embracing your gift, or your fresh start. By learning to trust yourself, you can speak to your true soul and grow more than you can ever imagine.

Believe,

Kristy

An Abnormally Normal Psychic Medium

Shielding: My Take

A couple of our readers asked about shielding so before I slip off to dreamland I thought I'd post my thoughts on how I protect myself from all the swirling energy of every day life. Please understand when I say I am new at this- I truly do mean it. Approximately three months ago I contacted Archangel Michael for the first time. Talk about overwhelming, especially for a doubter like myself!

(As a side note- completely impossible to deny the existence of an Archangel once one had made himself known. The spine-tingling and overwhelming love is enough to make even a seasoned Questioner-of-All like myself believe in a heartbeat.)

One of the things Michael stressed to me was that I must remember to, on a daily basis, ask God and he, Michael, for protection. That I must shield shield shield myself and my sensitivities. I've done my reading on shielding, being so sensitive it is a must in today's world. There are some great resources out there, the most recent I've read is information from Doreen Virtue. Some people imagine themselves surrounded by white light. Others imagine themselves being encased inside a globe of strong solid crystal. I would suggest you meditate and search your heart for what would seem most protective and appropriate for you. A colorful bubble of love and kindness surrounding you? Being bathed in a cleansing rose-colored light?

Maybe imagine yourself completely wrapped up in bubble wrap, the emotions of others bouncing off you like so much nothing?

Whatever you choose make sure to envision it, make it real.

My mode of protection is... angel wings. A while back I had a vision of myself as a child sitting under a tree with an angel beside me. The angel had her wings wrapped around me completely, soft and fluttery yet strong and protective all the same. I could feel the lightness of those wings, not exactly feathers but not exactly fluff- somewhere in between. But substantial. So this is the image I use to shield myself.

I am not perfect. Some mornings I am rushed and can barely find time to locate two matching shoes let alone get a two-year old ready and out the door while also remembering to shield before leaving for work. But most mornings I give myself enough time to awaken and thank God for a new day. Make my intention to have a wonderful and productive day known, and to shield. I also read a few passages from my Bible and say some general prayers... it's my morning routine. It seems long and involved but it isn't at all. How I shield and protect myself is very simple. It goes something like this:

"Dear God, Archangel Michael and my helpers, please shield and protect me as I venture out into the world today. Help guide me in loving myself enough to surrender all my doubts and fears to you while you keep me safe in your love, light and grace. Amen."

As I pray for myself I close my eyes and imagine lowering my head while being enveloped in those gleaming white, soft and protective wings. I will then keep them around me all day long while dealing with the world. They will work to block negative energy from affecting me.

As I said- I am a novice on a journey of enlightenment and learning. I hope, as a beginner, my guidance will be of some help to you but remember there are other resources out there and I am certain Kristy or Madelyn have some tried-and-true shielding methods. I often forget... and at times am still tempted to not believe. But let me tell you this: the day immediately after I first contacted Archangel Michael I was driving home from work and avoided getting into a car accident by a mere moment. A driver ran his stop sign right before I crossed through the intersection. A half second earlier and my car would have been hit, hard, with my son in the back seat. I had to pause and give thanks to God and His helpers for watching over me and my son.

So those wings? They really work! Or whatever you decide to envision as your protection may it be bubble wrap or the pages of a Bible. It doesn't matter if you fumble along but that you ask for and truly believe and accept that divine protection.

Stay safe and blessed,

Jennifer

Take Flight

I didn’t feel as if anybody understood me. The negative presence in the house had already driven me to sleep on the itchy brown plaid couch in the living room, just feet away from my mom and dad’s bedroom. The taunting, nightmares and scary feelings were about driving me mad and all I wanted was to have a sanctuary of my own bedroom, but there was no haven in my home. My only escape was when my nose was in a book. It was then that I could ignore the stress of my mom’s illnesses, the stress of my sister’s drama, and the stress of my dad trying to hide from the stress. All of the emotions were a beacon to the negative energy that wanted to feed. And I was the target, or so my ego felt that way. In essence the whole family was. I prayed every night that a miracle would occur and we would move. To me moving away from the negative was my hope that my mom would get better and that my sister would find her way home. It wasn’t until later, after working similar paranormal cases, that I realized that the negative would’ve followed, but to my nine-year old brain and happily-ever-after heart and soul I saw it as an answer. The answer.

I made my bed on the couch, as I had for several years, even though I had a large room on the second floor colored in purple paint and a canopy bed. Instead I opted for the uncomfortable wool couch and knowing that my parents were just a yell away. I had just fallen asleep when I awoke to find myself drifting. I could touch the ceiling. I looked down to see my physical body on the couch, sleeping peacefully, and felt at that moment that if I didn’t pull myself back to my body that I would die and drift away – far away. I could see in the distance, something further than the ceiling itself, a white energy, and knew that the energy was going ‘home’ and I felt sad and lonely. I panicked and pulled myself down on to my physical body, took a deep breath and jerked myself awake. My heart beat fast and I felt as if I had just died and come back alive. I felt someone watching me over my shoulder and swung around to see a young girl. She had long blonde curly hair and wore all white. It was a white that I had never seen before. It didn’t just sparkle, but it emitted a sense of pureness and love. Her face was round, her cheeks rosy and she spoke to me telepathically. “You are loved, Kristy. You are safe, Kristy.” Instead of asking questions or starting any sort of communication (something I regret to this day), I leaped off the couch and ran right through her, into my mom and dad’s room, where they simply allowed me to snuggle with them and I fell asleep.

I had stopped talking to anybody about my strange happenings long ago, but I was shaken and so I confided to my mom. She turned ashen and before I fully described to her what the little girl looked like, my mom described her to me - right down to the lace on her sleeves. She said she had a dream about her that night where she told her she would lose a child and she began to tear up thinking perhaps it was a premonition of my own death, but I shared with her the message. “You are loved, Kristy. You are safe, Kristy.” That afternoon my mom miscarried a baby that she wasn’t even aware she was carrying until it happened. She called me into the bathroom to help her call the doctor and we both cried with both sadness of the loss, but also relief that it wasn’t my death that I witnessed, it was my sister’s death. No, I don’t know for sure that the baby was a girl, but both my mom and I had a knowing that it was.

To this day I can hear that angel talking to me. “You are loved, Kristy. You are safe, Kristy.” Through my difficult marriage and divorce. Through having a baby with a birth defect and going through numerous surgeries with him. And through figuring out the magick that I held within my soul and acknowledging that being abnormally normal was normal.

Angels are around us each and every day and they carry us through the happy times and the sad times too. By tuning into their channel each day, the messages become clearer and clearer. It doesn’t take a special gift, only spreading your wings so that you can take flight with your angels.

Believe,

Kristy Robinett

The Novice

I was about six years old the first time I ever saw an angel. I remember it well. I was in bed, supposed to be napping. I hated napping as a child and to this day I am not much of a napper as an adult. Too much energy to spend those moments relaxing! This particular day years ago had been a bad day; painful. I was six years-old keep in mind, my well-loved Raggedy Ann doll snuggled up by my side as I fruitlessly tried to calm my mind enough to drift off to sleep through my unhappiness. In bed during the middle of the day when suddenly a woman appeared at the foot of my bed; I felt the mattress move as she lowered herself down onto it. I can close my eyes and envision it like it was yesterday although it was nearly thirty-three years ago. The pink and white ruffly sheets of my childhood bed. My long kid-disheveled dark dishwater blond hair spread out over the pillow case while I tried to rest.

And the strange unknown otherworldly woman perched at the foot of my bed.

She was sitting there, her dress spread out around her, beckoning to me. Beautiful. Exquisite really. Gauzy and ethereal, like I had to focus hard to see her clearly. In my mind I heard my name spoken and I remember it sounded "odd." It wasn't until later I realized she spoke my name with an accent, British or Irish or Scottish~ I don't quite remember now. Long light curly hair. Pretty. Hopeful. Billowy periwinkle dress, and she was reaching out for me with a smile on her face and a light radiating from within. I remember feeling like I was dreaming while knowing I wasn't. Her smile was all too real, and the love I felt emanating from her was truth. I just sat there spellbound gazing at her while she smiled at me, both of us still. A sense of calm overtook me which, back then, made me think I must have been dreaming but I know now that I wasn't. She was an angel, or a guide, sent to comfort me. I won't ever forget the look on her face. Such love. Transcending. As she reached for me I was soothed and for a moment, healed.

As the years passed I wrote that experience off as a dream even though thirty-three years later I can remember it like it was yesterday. I also recall all the "stories" I used to write, ideas that came to me from dreams or "daydreams." Images that were sometimes only recorded in my numerous journals. The times I heard my name whispered right before falling asleep, or murmured upon awakening. My extremely strong deja vu. The glowing halo I noticed around certain people. My keen knowing about individuals... to the point where I could quickly either "like" a person or distrust them upon initially meeting them.

Unfortunately I was also an odd child. Socially awkward. Painfully shy. Books were my closest friends. As a child I often felt alone and isolated; characters such as Laura Ingalls Wilder and Ramona were some of my besties. Sensitive to a fault, I was, am and always will be a crier! I can readily join Madelyn and Kristy for a good cry-fest; when I get upset or angry I do not lash out- I cry. I wear my heart on my sleeve and tears are how I vent my frustration with the world. When I was younger I was ridiculed for my tendency for waterworks... but now as an adult I know that tears are a sign of the Intuitive. Being an Empath copious amounts of tears are my reality. I am sensitive and proud of it! But as a child and young adult being around people sapped me of my energy. I can feel people. I know their pain, their angst and worry; it becomes my own unless I really work at blocking it. In the past I had no idea what I was or how to control it so I would take on the emotions of those around me. I'm more aware now and work on shielding myself although I still don't do well around anger or extreme sadness. Both tend to make me jittery or exhausted.

I may have been an odd child but am a way cool adult, or so I'd like to think ;) In reality I am... unique! Blissfully. Like Madelyn I often get signs through my dreams. The imagery is presented loud and clear, lessons offered up in dream form. Upon awakening I'm armed with a pad of paper, pen wielded in hand while I peer through sleepy blurred eyes to jot down my dream images so I can study them later. I often find myself thanking God for the clear answers to questions I may have via a specific dream I've been blessed with. I've always been a vivid dreamer to the extent where I astrally project and have since I was young. I know and can easily discern my nighttime images that are simple dreams and those "dreams" where I am projecting. It took many years but now I do know it for what it is. I'm not just flying in my dreams- my soul is soaring. I'll explain one of these dreams in more details in a future post but suffice to say they are amazing!

Most recently I have received angel and spirit guide messages for myself and other people. It has been a concrete step in my spiritual development, one that has caused me both angst as well as celebration. Angst due to my natural tendency to doubt/overanalyze and celebration because it has opened my eyes as well as connected me further with Madelyn and Kristy... showing me there is so much more to life than simply what I can physically see.

My confessions...

I doubt hugely my own powers, abilities and specialness. Learning and believing that I have my own spiritual abilities has been an arduous journey, one in which I have not nearly reached an end. Much of this is new to me. I battle my doubt on a daily basis. I pray and ask for strength in knowing myself. Having faith, hope and trust in God and my angels can be a chore for me. Sometimes faith means wanting a blinking illuminated sign in 1980's hot pink flashing "It's Not Just Your Imagination Jennifer!!!" for me to accept my own abilities. But my faith is growing stronger, and they, my guides and angels, deal with me. I have divine support even through those times when I doubt! They believe me even when I don't believe in myself, and isn't that a most wonderful thing?

I am afraid of open water even though symbolically water is very important to me. I love the water, am entranced by it but at the same time am somewhat frightened by its enormity. Half of my dreams concern water of some kind or another. Mother Nature is powerful and so is the element of water. It is, of course, a sign for me to "dive right in" and "take the plunge" although it's not as easy as it seems!

I love to karaoke and despite a shy streak am a huge drama queen diva. Get a microphone in my hand and I am in my element; I do love to sing. It raises my energy and elevates my soul.

Dragonflies are drawn to me; my friends call me "The Dragonfly Whisperer" because they flock to me, land on me and allow me to inspect them. Each year I am pleasantly surprised by how the dragonflies in my yard wait for me to get home and then flutter around me to get my attention. I love to photograph them!

There's much more to tell but I can't share all my secrets at once. Must leave items to be revealed through other blog posts! I have had my share of disembodied knocking and whispers but nothing like the experiences of Kristy or Madelyn; this is why I think of myself as "the novice." I've spend part of my life not acknowledging much of the weirdness or writing it off as my own overactive imagination, pushing it away. Only upon reflection am I realizing that much of it was and is real... and it's okay for me to accept it as such. More than okay- exciting and part of who I am as a person and as a very sensitive intuitive and spiritually able woman. I will readily admit that I'm not as knowing as my two counterparts who have asked me to join them in this venture; I have no idea what "Clair" I am: clairsentient? clairvoyant? claircognizant? Somehow I don't think it's the labeling of myself that matters but more so being comfortable introducing this side of myself; I haven't until this point- here and now.

One thing my guides and angels have urged on me these last months is love. Love love love... love is the end all and be all of existence. Love is what makes the world go 'round. No matter my doubts worries or even my celebrations I do make sure to keep love close to my heart. And you should too.

Take care and God bless,

Jennifer

Out of the Broom Closet . . .

So, here's the part where I tell you how awesomely strange and cool I am.

{Mad waits patiently for the laughter to subside...}

The plain truth is, I spent the first 35 years of my life mostly in the not-so-blissful state of Oblivion. Meaning, I spent my time being very, very normal. Doing terribly normal things, thinking terribly normal {well . . .-ish} thoughts, and denying as I had always been taught that ghosts and psychics and other such oddities were anything more than a wistful, wishful mind trying to pretend their realities away into something a little more interesting.

Denial is easy. More comforting, certainly. Believing came a little harder for me.

And yet . . . I was uneasy. The world I experienced didn't quite make sense to me, and the discrepancies kept nudging themselves into my awareness. I was always having to explain things away as "coincidence" or "just a dream" or "just being judgmental" when I instantly knew a person's overall aspect/tendency {Light or Dark, trustworthy or not trustworthy} upon meeting them, or always knew when a person was telling the truth or lying. It was just my imagination when I "just knew" a person's private motives behind what they were saying . . . or worse, had something terribly secret about them pop into my head as they were talking to me, something they were hiding. I always averted my attention from those thoughts, doing my best to pretend that it hadn't happened, that I didn't know. For the longest time, I convinced myself I was simply being judgmental, or nitpicky, or overly wary . . . but just as often the things I knew were positive things, pleasant things, and one fateful day I slowed down enough to realize that it wasn't all one-sided, so "judgmental" wasn't the right answer either. It was around that same time that, through casual conversations with a group of work cohorts, I also realized not everyone had the same kinds of dreams I had always had. It was something that never occurred to me.

That marked the beginning for me. The realization that I really was different -- just like I had feared so often when I was a teenager -- sparked a quest for answers as to why. Why did I experience these things? And that quest, in turn, set off a series of discoveries about other things I experienced that I had never considered weren't normal. The way I could see halos of light around people and animals and plants and trees. The way I could feel the energy of a place. The way I drew animals to me and knew what they were thinking, or the way children would single me out at a store and stare and smile. The way I could feel another person's sadness or turmoil or anger or joy, and not just sympathize with them, but actually feel it inside of myself as though it were my own emotion. Emotion without a cause. Is it any wonder so many unaware sensitives are on anti-depressants these days?

Awareness is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the world begins to make sense in a way it never did before. On the other hand, once you start down that slippery road toward discovery, there is no turning back. And believing in things you once turned your nose up at--even embracing them!--is a really powerful lesson about humility. One's ego is very good at keeping the awareness at bay.

Oh, but finding an explanation to so many of life's uncertainties and questions is powerful, too. And that, my lovelies, is what kept me searching, and keeps me searching still.

What, you mean I still don't have the answers to all that I'd been searching for? ::koff koff::  Um, no. I don't think we ever stop learning. Heck, just learning to believe in myself has been a struggle. Coming out and talking about what I've experienced, that also has been difficult. The more I talk about it, though, the easier it gets ... and here's something nifty I've discovered along the way: Talking about something I am striving to understand makes me think about it in new ways that magically {majickally!} gels my understanding in a way that might have taken me longer if I'd stayed in my head, pondering, pondering. And maybe, just maybe, talking about such things will help someone else who is also struggling for understanding.

Not that this blogging partnership is meant to be all musing and ruminating over mysterious topics, LOL. But we do want to talk about our lives and how we deal with certain details some might view as something other than normal, when really it is as everyday normal as flipping the egg over in the skillet while waiting for the toaster to pop up in the morning.

So, what are my confessions?

I don't see ghosts often--though I have here and there. Mostly I feel them, I feel their energy. A presence. And, it has to be pretty overt for it to get through my busy thoughts. Contrary to what you might think, I don't spend my every waking moment thinking about the Otherworld. :p When I have seen them, I have only seen them as they were in life, and it was a faint impression, with color. I have also seen animal spirits that were like a wisp of smoke swirling around my feet. And shadows.

I am not what I would call psychic. I do not have the traditional visions, and I have only rarely tapped into something at will  . . . and when I have, I have not been confident in the results. It is much easier for me to just go with the flow of impressions that comes to me willingly. Randomly, even. But, I think I'm meant to stretch myself, so I should probably work at changing that.

I have many Guides, but one that serves as my main man, always on the front lines with me. And he has called me dense more than once. I'm hoping he meant that lovingly. ;>

I do have a crystal ball. It looks beautiful, shining in the sun, but I don't use it for anything else.

Much of my spirit contact has been in dream form {hence, the initial difficulty in believing in myself}. Receiving validation for dream details for the first time was one of the most powerful and exciting things I've experienced. Fist-pumping, even.

I will join Kristy on the crying couch. Happy, sad, whatever. It's all the same. Strong emotions = powerful energy, and for me one easy release of that is tears.

My family never knew the truth about my experiences, until recently. I do try to spare them most of the details. LOL.

I would love to be able to see auras in full color, but alas, currently all I can see is the first layer, the energy body, that surrounds us all. I still hold out great hopes to be able to change that.

Negative energy in people gives me terrible migraines and I avoid it like the plague. Negative energy in places gives me the heebie-jeebies, big time, and all I can think of is putting as much distance between myself and the source as quickly as possible.

I truly believe that love in all its forms and learning to let go of the limitations we put upon ourselves is the reason we are here.

And with that, my lovelies, I will close for now.

Love to all,


Mad {madly!}

Confessions of an Abnormally Normal Psychic Medium

Since the age of 3 I have seen ghosts and spirits. I see them just as I see normal people, but they have an aura around them that (sometimes) helps me determine if they are alive and breathing in the earthly sense, or alive on the Other Side. And then there are those that are stuck and haven't crossed over and they take on a whole other look to me. I admit that there have been several times that I have had to ask my husband or kids if they see a certain person. The "are you crazy" expression is pretty much my answer.

It took me a long time to confess what I was -who I was. Images of Ms. Cleo and the Psychic Friend's Network always swirled around in my head and since I didn't grow up in a household that accepted astrology, psychics, ghosts, etc it was something obscure and even strange to me. Yes, that did make me think that perhaps I was strange. Alright fine, I'm probably strange, but I think that I am cool and fun strange. Or at least that is what I tell myself, my husband, my kids and my friends. They normally appease me with a nod and a smile, and probably plans to one day put me away.

I didn't one day decide to quit my job and put the Psychic Medium - Open For Business sign on my door. There was a lot of tears, a lot of insecurities and a whole lot of business planning. I didn't want to work in an atmosphere where I had a flashing Psychic sign (been there, done that awful circus act). I wanted an office that was in a professional office building, with normal people (although I think I am more normal than most in my office building -just sayin') and some place where my clients would feel comfortable. Just last week I grinned at a client's outburst. "This is your office? I expected...gee, I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it!" Yes, I do claim to be the abnormally normal Psychic Medium. I would show you a picture of my office, but honestly, you need to come visit for yourself. Take your shoes off, snuggle in my comfy chair and hear what your Guides have to say.

So, where does the confession part come in? Well, here goes....

I'm afraid of the dark. Mainly because the ghosts/spirits often come to me in the dead of night with their tales and it is quite surprising to feel them standing over me. And then open my eyes and take in the unexpected sight. They might have been mangled in an accident, murdered by their lover, or committed suicide. Their wounds still fresh from their passing. It is every child's nightmare. And my life.

I hate the word psychic. Mainly because it conjures up images of crystal balls and fraud.

I can't read Tarot Cards. In fact at one time I was petrified of them. And yet I use them as my conduit to my client's guides. I tell my clients this time and time again, but it is normally the men who still want to know what each card means. I roll my eyes and tell them I can tell them what I believe it means but if they go to a book or the net they will think me crazy.

I get stage fright. I have been in front of thousands of people at one time and I still shake and shiver.

I have been in the presence of evil energy and it is frightening.

I have been in the presence of angels and it is moving. Every time I see an angel, I cry at the overwhelming energy they emit.

I could confess that I am a crier, but that is no confession at all. Most all know that I am sensitive and will cry at a sappy commercial. It is who I am. It also drove my ex-husband nuts. My forever husband cries too (shh...don't tell him I told you) so he gets it.

I have turned down several television shows on major networks, along with several talk shows. Why? I have integrity and I won't sell my soul to put my face in front of millions. I am not against doing a TV show, but I am picky on what it is and the premise of it.

I love doing radio and secretly wish I could be a DJ (that got paid - not just a podcast DJ).

I have a hard time getting a reading from anybody because I don't trust many in this industry. I am not saying that there aren't ethical and fabulous people, I just haven't met many.

And the most prolific one yet - I love owls. There, I said it! The reason why I love owls is because they can see what most can't. Like me. :)

I am sure that I have more confessions, but I can't spill my whole life to you in the first week. You have to keep coming back to read more. I have stories - egad do I have stories. I am so happy to be able to share my journey with you!

Believe,

Kristy